The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-10-12
The wealthiest Indian.

All very respectfully
EDWARD McPHERsoS.
The Wealthiest Indian.
Matthias Splitlog is full blOoded
Wyandotte Indian and was born in an
Indian village in Canada, and shortly
afterward moved TO Ohio. While boy
he was apprenticed to carpenter and
millwright, and although his wages were
only $ per month young Splitlog thought
he was getting rich Splitlog's first ven
/ ture WAS to build a steam boat, which he
( did in company with his brother. They
launched the boat upon the St. Clair
/ River and started in the fishing trade
Uncle sam soon became jealous Of the
( boys and eonfiscated the boot ona charge
I of smuggling. OF his subsequent career
unique in American commercial history
a Neosho correspondent writes as fol-
lows;
I In 1852 the Wyandottes. who we're the
last of the Indian tribes then in Ohio.
by the treaty of the Upper Sandusky,
I ceded to the United States their lands in
that State and received in exchange land
in what is now Wyandotte county. Kan.
In 1913 Splitlog came West with some Of
his tribe and found after his arrival at
West Port Landing nov Kansas City
that he only had fifty cents in his pockets.
He induced an old Indian to 20 his
securitV for the price of an axe. With
this axe he cut cord wood for the steam
boats at he rate of twenty-five cents per
cord and after paying for the axe which
cost 50, he soon saved enough to buy
pony, and shortly afterward we find him
with heard of horses. About 1850
Splitlog was married to the granddaugh-
ter Of the old man who went his securi-
ty for the price of the axe, and shortly
afterward ne began to build a mill At
this time he had no money to pay for
labor, so he did the work himself He
selected the timber, cut and hauled the
logs, and then had q raising that is
had his neighbors come and help him
raise the building. He furnished the
mill himself with everything but the
burrs. These would cost at that time
$50, and Splitlog had no money SfIll
he was determined not q to give up the
idea of running "a MILL When in this
dilemma, a steamboat which was unload
ing pair of burrs at the landing acci-
dentally let them fall overheard, and
they sank into the bottom of the Mis-
sour River. Splitlog. learning of the
loss, contracted with the owner to pay
him s25 for the burrs and take them up
himself, which he eventually did after
much trouble and hard work, and, having
got the burns out Of the river, it took but
4 short time 10 get ready to start the MILL
The machinery was rugged for horse
power, and the day that Splitlog started
he hitched in eight unbroken horses
from his herd and earned eighty-iiYe
cents in cash, and in the evening he gave
this money to his wife and told her to 90
to Northrup's splitIog's present bankers
in Kansas City and buy them some
thing good TO eat, as ne now had that
much money that he did not need.
splitlog's mill was success, and in
1852 we find him one of the leading men
of his tribe. BY the treaty of the Upper
Sanduskv the Wyandottes were not al
lowed to ALLEVIATE their lands, but in the
year 1855 new treaty was smade between
the Wyandottes and the United States
which severed the tribal relation of the
Wyandottes. After the adoption of this
treaty, Sphtlog began to speculate in real
estate, and although he can neither read
nor write ne has been one of the most !
successful spectators in the neigh bor- |
hood of Kansas City, and is to-day worth !
over S1,0O0O00 About fourteen wears
ago Splitlog moved 10 Indian Territory,
located on Elk River, near the Missouri
line and about four miles from Tiff City, /
rnd recently he became interested in a
silver mine in Mcdonald county. Mo-
With characteristic energy he began oper- !
ations at once. He hired a mining ex-
pert named B. f. Requa, fr1m Chicago,
to superinteEd the operations at the mine
and becoming convinced that 70 develop
the mines and build upthe town Of Split
log railroad was necessary. he, together
with his partner in the mines, Moses W.
Clay, commenced negotiating with the
projectors of the New Orleans, Natehez
and Fort SCOTT Railroad Company, and
soon that company was formed for the
purpose Of building a railroad between
the terminal points named in its title
and running by way Of Neosho and
Splitlog City. This company being too
slow 70 meet the vigorous ideas Of Split
log and Clay, they severed their connec-
tion with the same, and Matthias Split
log, Moses W. Hubbert and others organ
lied the Kansas City, Fort Smith and
Southern Railroad Company. with cap
ital of 50 100000 for the purpose ofbuild-
ing railroad from Kansas City to Fort
Smith, passing through Splitlog City and
Neosho. This road is now graded for
about thirty miles betwe IN sptitIog City
and Joplin, and it is only question Of a
few months when the ears will run south
ward from Soplin to Fort Smith, and
Matthias splitlog, the millionaire Indian,
who is probably the richest man Of his
race, will be known all over the country
as the only Indian railroad man in the
United stares.
Long and Short Days.